President Bush - Bite Your Lip!

The Washington Post (registration required) has their knickers in a knot because President Bush refuses to be President Clinton. Here's how they begin a "news" article on the U.S. response to the tsunami disaster:

The Bush administration more than doubled its financial commitment yesterday to provide relief to nations suffering from the Indian Ocean tsunami, amid complaints that the vacationing President Bush has been insensitive to a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions.

Further down the article we read:

Skeptics said the initial aid sums -- as well as Bush's decision at first to remain cloistered on his Texas ranch for the Christmas holiday rather than speak in person about the tragedy -- showed scant appreciation for the magnitude of suffering and for the rescue and rebuilding work facing such nations as Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and Indonesia.

After a day of repeated inquiries from reporters about his public absence, Bush late yesterday afternoon announced plans to hold a National Security Council meeting by teleconference to discuss several issues, including the tsunami, followed by a short public statement.

Bush's deepened public involvement puts him more in line with other world figures. In Germany, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder cut short his vacation and returned to work in Berlin because of the Indian Ocean crisis, which began with a gigantic underwater earthquake. In Britain, the predominant U.S. voice speaking about the disaster was not Bush but former president Bill Clinton, who in an interview with the BBC said the suffering was like something in a "horror movie," and urged a coordinated international response.

Look at the inflammatory language they use: "cloistered" and "more in line with other world figures". Once again the media wishes Bush would just be more like those "other world leaders" who know how properly act, or at least act like Clinton.

The Bush spokesman did take a little shot back at the media and Clinton:

Earlier yesterday, White House spokesman Trent Duffy said the president was confident he could monitor events effectively without returning to Washington or making public statements in Crawford, where he spent part of the day clearing brush and bicycling. Explaining the about-face, a White House official said: "The president wanted to be fully briefed on our efforts. He didn't want to make a symbolic statement about 'We feel your pain.' "

Many Bush aides believe Clinton was too quick to head for the cameras to hold forth on tragedies with his trademark empathy. "Actions speak louder than words," a top Bush aide said, describing the president's view of his appropriate role.

Good for the Bush team! The media thinks that going before the cameras, biting your trembling lip, and spouting nice things is what the president is supposed to do. Clinton did that very well and the media loved him. The fact that he didn't do anything substantial during his presidency didn't matter.

The Crawford White House has all the communications gear the President will ever need to keep tabs on what's going on in the world. Abandoning his vacation to run back to Washington would be a meaningless symbolic gesture that would accomplish absolutely nothing. Bush isn't the kind of guy who likes to spend his time accomplishing nothing.